The semi-weekly fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-08-30
CENTAURS OF THE PLAINS.
WONDERFUL RIDING OF THE AR
APAHOE INDIANS.
Sweeping Along Like the Winu
While Hanging With One Foot
and Hand 70 Their Horses

and land TO Their hOrses-
General James s. Brisbin writes to the
Omaha Republican: When we last parted
company with the readers of the RePubti-
can we were in the Indian camp of the
Arlpahoe Chief Friday. Here we saw
many curious scenes and learned much OF
Indian life. One day Friday said TO me
he would like to show off his young men
and let me see how we'll they could ride
At first expected some treachery, as the
whole herd Of ponies were still In the
hands of the troops. The old Chief,
however was so earnest and apparently
honest about it that | told the Captain,
who had the herd in charge, he might
let Friday have fifty ponies for his young
men. In about an hour they drew up be-
fore. the tents in war paint and feathers,
and were as fine a looking set OF young
fellows as | had ever seen. Hardly one
but was six feet in height and beautifully
proportioned. They sat their horses like
centaurs and were ease and grace itself
in the saddle. At a signal from the
Chief they began their movements with
a yell that sent the blood curdling in the
heart and was enough If heard unawares
or in the nighttime, to make ones hair
stand on end. In 4 moment they had
disappeared over q neighbOring hill to
the right, and l thought they had gone,
but, hearing a mighty trampling of horses,
1 looked to the left and there they came.
l can compare it to nothing but the
wind, and they swept by so swift and
compact that they looked like a ball of
horses and men. Splitting in two, one
body swept to the right and another to
the left and again disappeared. In about
two minutes the two bodies charged each
other in solid lines, and l waited almost
breathlessly for the shock, but as the
horses heads almost touched each other
the files skilfully opened to the right and
left and the lines passed through the
intervals without touching. Wheeling
to the right about they passed back III an
instant and again disappeared over the
hills 1t was about fifteen minutes be-
fore they came in sight, and Friday in
formed me they were blowing their
horses. Presently on they came and
wheeled by fours. formed columns, broke
by tours, and finally deplOyed as Skin
mishers 1t was now we saw the finest
individual Workmanship. Some would
approach lying so close to the pony's
back nothing but the horses could be
seen. Others stood up and rode as circus
men do. Some would hang with one
foot and one hand on the horses and
sweep by, their bodies completely pro-
tected by the bodies of the animals.
Some leaped upon the ground, holding
to the name of the horse, and after run
ming a step or two would swing them
selves up on the backs of the horses again
as easily as any circus man could do 1t.
The positions they assumed and the feats
of craftsmanship they performed were in
credible, and l doubt if anything outside
of circus ring ever equaled it. They
would throw objects on the ground and
| pick them up again while passing at full
speed, the warriors hanging to the sides
of the horses with one foot and one hand.
They drew bows and shot arrows from
underneath the necks and even bellies of
their horses while riding at a fast gallop.
| Our cavalry could not learn to ride as
/ we'll as these Indians did if each man was
| trained for twenty years They exchanged
horses while riding and got behind each
! other. One man would fall off his horse
as if wounded, and two others would
ride up beside him, and taking him by an
arm and leg, swing him between their
horses and carry him off. The exhibit
ton, or drill, as Friday called it, lasted
nearly two hours, and the men and horses
! were completely exhausted. Ihad never
seen such magnificent feats of horseman-
ship in my life, and freely said So At
this Friday was much pleased, and call
ing up the young men repeated to them
in a loud voice what 1 had said, and
added a few words of his own compli-
menting them. The young men were
very proud of the manner in which they
had acquitted themselves, and 1 could
! imagine the feelings of their parents and
sweethearts. The performers were much
worn out, some of them being hardly able
to stand after their violent exercise, and
all the evening 1 saw them lying in the
lodges, where the Indian women brought
them food and water, bathed their hands,
arms. and limbs, and combcd their hair.